The Great Diamond Switcheroo
by mawmawile
Summary: After a long day, Yellow Diamond and her Pearl strike a deal to switch places for a week.
1. The Deal

The relationship between most gems with Pearls is strictly one-sided. One gem gets the complete loyalty and servitude of someone pretty, and face none of the objection or argument that plagues the daily life of noble gems. The Pearl, in return, gets absolutely nothing, save for tired feet and the pleasure of serving some insignificant upper crust.

This is _not _true for the Pearl that belongs to the almighty Yellow Diamond. While it would be a stretch to call them equals, the great Diamond certainly offered much more ore respect to her Pearl's opinion than most gems would. Their relationship did not start out as cordial as you may think, though. For hundreds of years Yellow Diamond and her Pearl had a strictly professional relationship. All of this changed, however, on the first day of the week thousands of years ago.

Yellow Diamond was in a meeting. An emergency meeting, to be exact, called on by a Nephrite concerning recent troubles on a planet they were colonizing. As Yellow was listening to the Nephrite drone on and on about organic resistance, Pearl was at the floor, carefully transcribing every word.

"...according to my Jade, the primary organic species on the planet _seems_ harmless, but actually secrete some kind of toxin that is highly corrosive to all my gems, and myself..."

Yellow hid a yawn. "Then don't deal with them. The Kindergartens will do short work of them, in time."

The Nephrite looked around nervously. "Of course, my Diamond, but the organics are very protective of their territory, which just so happens to be clustered around Kindergarten sites. If we ignore them, the organics get in our way. If we deal with them, they poison my gems."

"If I remember correctly—" This was dripping in sarcasm; of course Yellow remembered correctly. "Lapis Lazulis can _fly_. Block the area with something organics can't reach, and let the Lapises do their jobs. Everything else will happen as it does."

As Pearl typed that, she scrunched her face up. She could immediately see that idea was not going to work. Most of Homeworld's restraint technology was designed for its native residents, _not_ organics. She kept quiet, though.

Nephrite seemed to have the same idea as Pearl. Sensing this, Yellow put her hand up to stop her. "Gems are infinitely stronger and more durable than any organic. That's all I'll hear of this."

Nephrite sighed and half-heartedly gave a salute. "Of course, my Diamond."

Getting in those last words, Pearl rushed over to open the door for Nephrite.

When Nephrite left, Yellow let out a tired groan and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Egad, can't they think for themselves?"

"It just proves that you are all-knowing, my Diamond!" Pearl chimed, hoping to please her.

Yellow simply sank into her seat. "A Diamond is assuredly all-knowing. One would expect the Nephrites would be at least semi-knowing."

Seeing the disgruntled disposition, Pearl spoke up again. "My Diamond, is there anything you need from me?"

"No, no." Yellow looked at her. "Being a Diamond is thankless work. Everyday, it's request after request, meeting after meeting, report after report. You Pearls have it easy."

Easy?! "I'm going to be shattered for this, my Diamond, but you've just described what I do every second of my life! Whatever you have to do, I have to do it twice over. Anyways, I'm the one who _screens_ all of your audiences. Even you would blush at the things gems say to me when I tell them they can't see you!

"And I definitely don't have it easy with requests. All day its 'Pearl, dance for me' or 'Pearl, make a copy of the report' or 'Pearl, keep Pink occupied so she stays out of my hair'. Your hair is already perfect, my Diamond, so why do you even have to say something like that? So yeah, I don't have it easy, so you can just shatter and replace me already!" Pearl blushed, halfway from the adrenaline of speaking so out of turn, and halfway from the fear of her death.

Instead, Yellow diamond started to _laugh_. "Maybe it's because I'm delusional from exhaustion, but I actually don't want to shatter you," she said. "Pearl, that is just cute. Perhaps you have to do many things, but they are petty. A Diamond's decision has great consequence; it weighs heavy."

"Well, you get to sit with it."

Again, Pearl was saved by laughter. "All of this stress lately will crack my gem. Pearl, I have a little deal for you," Yellow said. "Let's switch places for a week, and you'll see how hard it really is to be a Diamond. (And I get a break.)"

She's shown too much bravado to back out now. "I think you made a mistake. _You're_ the one who will know what true stress is. I agree, my Diamond!" Not like she had a choice. Although, even if she did, Pearl supposed she would still agree.


	2. Day 1: Yellow Court

The first day of the deal began with an announcement to all the gems of Yellow's court.

_Attention all gems—_

_Anyone seeking the attention of Yellow Diamond must direct all requests to her Pearl. You must speak to Pearl if she were your Diamond, because for the next week, she is. This information stays in this court on the pain of shattering._

"Okay, so, send it for me," Pearl suggested awkwardly after writing the announcement. "My Diamond." She was sitting on the large throne with her screens logged into Yellow's account, a silly sight given how dainty she was in comparison.

"This will only happen for this week," said the Diamond. "But just call me 'Yellow'." She was standing next to the chair, easily surpassing it in height.

"Yellow…" Pearl instinctively blushed at saying such a personal name. "Then, I'll be 'my Pearl'. It's true, isn't it?"

The screen _ping_ed, the sound of every single gem getting the announcement. The two of them in the control room shivered with the knowledge that this was certainly going to backfire.

"Right. So, uh, Yellow. What do we have for today?" Pearl knew of course, having no small part in creating her Diamond's schedule.

It took some time before Yellow finally found the spreadsheet that outlined her schedule for the next month. "Court." She grimaced. "There's too much nuance involved in court sessions; let me take over for this."

"What's the magic word?"

Yellow forced herself not to roll her eyes. "My Pearl."

"I've been with you for all of the court sessions, my—Yellow. Someone so tough-skinned as you surely isn't embarrassed by our deal, right?" She smiled a devious grin. "Or are you _scared_ that a little Pearl's going to do better her first try than you ever did?"

Yellow Diamond was nothing if not competitive. "Of course not, _my Pearl_." The title was said with such sarcastic grandeur and pompousness. "Don't you get jealous, now."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Pearl winked, then looked down at the floor. "Um, you wouldn't mind helping me down, right?"

* * *

Other than judicial court, Homeworld also had the four courts of the Diamonds (although Pink's consisted of no one but herself). Its courtiers were all of the Diamond's gems, from the lowest Ruby to the highest Jade. A Diamond Court was different from when they _held_ court, an event where any of their gems could come to request, report, or simply flatter.

Yellow's court was held in her palace, though it was only her and Pearl, and two Topaz guards. Looking out the window, they could see gems of all sorts in line waiting for the doors to open.

Pearl, again overshadowed by the giant seat, rubbed her hands together nervously. "I'm ready, my Diamond. Yellow. I'm ready." An awkward blush grew on her face.

Yellow was feeling awkward, too, not looking forward to the reactions of her gems. Stars, this was a mistake. "Topazes, open the doors. Yellow Court is now open."

As soon as they opened the doors, gems upon gems flowed into the atrium, in awe at the beauty of their Diamond. With this, were whispers. They had all received the announcement, and some of them were pointing at Pearl.

The first gem came up to the throne, hands uncertainly in a salute. A Condor Agate, with a round gem where her left eye would be. "Uh, my Diamond. My wonderful, amazing Diamond… The main outpost on System F9 Planet Zeta is in need of more Citrines."

Pearl looked at Yellow. She was typing word for word the request, using no shorthand nor symbols. "You will... get more Citrines."

"Thank you… I guess. When can I expect the new shipment?" the Agate asked.

How long did these things usually take? How far even was this Planet Zeta? "Um, in two months. Next!" Pearl was sure she missed something.

"I would have asked _why_ she needed more," Yellow said under her breath.

The next courtier was a Triphane and her Pearl, both their gems on their right hip. The Pearl was gaping at the throne in disbelief.

"What is it?" Pearl asked.

Triphane was still looking at her strangely, and pointedly turned to Yellow. "My Diamond! I have completed my latest project, which is a statue recreation of your glory!" She smiled in wait.

"There was a report sent. I know you received it." Yellow waited to transcribe that before continuing. "This is not the time to go against your Diamond."

"Y-yes, my Diamond." Her arms snapped into position. "A-anyways, where should I send it?"

Pearl thought for a moment. Putting it here would be too vain, while putting it somewhere secluded would be a waste. "Hm… let's build a small courtyard for it. And not just this one statue, but of all the Diamonds!" Pearl began to talk faster, excited at the prospect. "If you do this, of course you could be rewarded handsomely. I'll see to construction of it."

Triphane, previously disgusted with speaking respectfully with a Pearl, was now delighted. "Oh, it's going to be beautiful!"

"Next!"

The rest of the day continued in a similar fashion. As the day progressed, Pearl got more and more confident with dealing with gems. Once in a while, Yellow would agonize over the loss of resources, but nothing catastrophic happened.

"My Diamond, there's been an explosion!" A Peridot had run into the palace with a panicked expression. "A group of rebels is attacking the inner circle!"

The room hushed for but a second before erupting in a frenzy of whispers. "My Stars!" Pearl looked at Yellow. "Aren't there guards?"

Peridot stuttered, remembering the order. "Th-they joined the rebels."

"We'll—then send—um…" Pearl was about to ask Yellow for help, but then remembered the second most thing she hated: being proved wrong (the first were Homeworld dissenters). She swallowed; she'd been by Yellow Diamond's side for nearly a millennia. If she couldn't figure out this, what kind of Pearl would she be?

"Thank you. We'll—_I'll_ go there, and show them what the brilliance of the Diamonds truly means." Pearl grinned charismatically. "As for today… the session is over."

* * *

The inner circle was in the heart of Homeworld, and it was centered around the historic First Spire—the first building ever constructed, now used as the living quarters of the great White Diamond.

The inner circle that surrounded the First Spire was home to the most aristocratic of gems: Garnets, Sapphires, Beryls, and the like. It was one of the most heavily guarded areas of the empire, boasting an entire company of Quartzes and Topazes solely dedicated to protecting the area. A company that, evidently, had all joined in a protest.

Pearl and Yellow approached the walls to the circle. To Pearl, it was a little disconcerting to be walking in front of her Diamond, especially in public. She wondered if Yellow would find her worry amusing, was she not so worked up about the explosion.

Guarding the circle was a pair of Topazes. Upon seeing them, they began to quiver in nervousness. Immediately, both of them dropped their spears, arms tight in a salute. "M-my Diamond!" the left one said.

"W-we were just… keeping the rebels trapped!" finished the right one.

Pearl bit her lip. "Then… you should have no problem opening the gates for your Diamond."

Right looked at Left. Left looked at Right. "Okay." _They will have a more merciful punishment_, Pearl noted as the doors opened.

A ring of gems, mostly Quartzes, blockaded the doors of the inner circle, trapping any gems inside. In front of the First Spire was a group of gems listening to a Quartz's speech. They were standing in front of an ugly mark, the scars of their apparent explosion.

"We serve the Diamonds tirelessly, and for what? To burn ourselves out with the constant work? Get harvested or shattered at the smallest mistake? Diamonds, hear what I say! This message is from the smallest Ruby to the largest Emerald: we are tired of your rule, and—oh my Stars, that's Yellow Diamond!"

Panicked expressions dotted every face, but they were too afraid to do anything. "What is going on here?" Pearl asked, her eyes narrow. "Quartz, come here and defend yourself!"

The orange Quartz nervously walked through the crowd, hands notably by her side. "Yellow Diamond."

Did she get the announcement? Yellow did have orange gems, but this one's smooth cabochon was not fitting for a Quartz. Perhaps one of the other Diamonds felt like spicing things up? "Well? What's the reason for this?"

"I am… As a Quartz, I can say that us lower gems are not treated with the same respect that higher gems are." She swallowed. "I have seen so many menial gems give their entire lives in service to Homeworld, only to be shattered for speaking their minds!"

"Anyone who contradicts the will of a Diamond is not worthy to be alive," Pearl countered, the irony lost on her. "If you surrender now, you and this ragtag group of dissenters will be shown _some_ mercy." She couldn't help but smile; the excitement of speaking so openly was absolutely exhilarating.

The Quartz looked around. The crowd showed a mix of reactions. Some looked afraid with the consequence of death; others, angry their impromptu leader would betray the cause. "No. I refuse."

"Then this ends here."

* * *

The sky was pitch black by the time the whole debacle was over. The so-called Quartz leader was actually an Orange Jade who had shifted her appearance modifiers to that of a soldier. All that talk about being a low gem, and it being a lie. Of course, that Jade was shattered.

As for the rest of the protesters, they were all held in stasis bubbles. If it were up to Pearl, they would all be shattered. Technically, it was up to her for the rest of the week, but she didn't want to risk it.

The excitement of the day died down, and Pearl became nervous again. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" Yellow asked.

"It really wasn't my place to say things like that." Pearl blushed, and brought a hand to her cheek. "How inappropriate for a Pearl."

Yellow hummed thoughtfully. "I'd say it's appropriate for a Diamond, though. A Diamond doesn't get embarrassed, though. Are you giving up?"

"Stars, I am not!" Pearl grinned, and fell into a confident pose. "So, what's for tomorrow, my Diamond? Er, Yellow."

She meticulously tapped her way through the translucent screen, although she was getting better at the skill. "A visit to one of my colonies in the Epsilon System. The Citrines in the Beta Kindergarten recently emerged, so they need to be checked on." The looked at the day for a few moments, when her face suddenly soured.

"What is it?"

With a strained voice, Yellow answered. "Pink's coming to visit."


	3. Day 2: Pink Diamond

The interior of Yellow's ship was decidedly that color. The floor, the walls, the screens, even the windows giving a view to the cosmos were tinted a striking chartreuse. Pearl had been on the ship before, but had never driven it. If she was in the mood for regicide, maybe, but it was a definite no thanks for now.

Yellow was flying the ship, trying to get through Pink's endless questions without getting aggravated. It was a losing battle, so far. Usually, Pink would be Pearl's responsibility, but given their current arrangements, Yellow was stuck explaining the purpose of this trip for the tenth time.

It was very rare for Pearl to spend time with Pink's Pearl. If Pink was here, Pearl would always be put on babysitting duty for the youngest Diamond. So chatting with Pink Pearl was refreshing, given how much they needed to catch up.

"Yellow Diamond must be feeling really happy!" said Pink Pearl, clasping her hands together. "She never talks to my Diamond!"

Pearl thought for a second, thinking about the pros and cons of revealing the deal to her colleague. Then she decided to throw caution to the wind and tell her. "Actually, you'll never believe what happened, Pinky."

"Oh? What's that?"

Pearl told her what happened two days ago, and Pink's eyes widened. "What? You're joking, right? My Diamond's rather lax for her position, and that would be a stretch even for her. Never mind your Diamond!"

Pearl nodded. "I know. I'm still reeling in shock."

"Did you do anything interesting, my Diamond?" Pink made a pompous face and bowed, hands jokingly in a salute.

"Oh, you're so funny! We should hang out more." Pearl grinned as Pink stood erect again and giggled. "Hey, do you want to help 'Yellow Diamond' when we get to Epsilon?"

"Definitely."

* * *

The moon base overseeing the planet was beautiful. The satellite itself was an inky purple, with many rich clusters of aluminium dotting the surface. On the side opposite from the base was a very large depression filled with ice. Given the planet only had few reserves of underground water, that was a big help to the Lapis Lazulis.

The base was designed by one of Blue's most talented architects who was allowed to start quote "go absolutely ham" end quote on the structure. Yellow didn't care much about aesthetics, but even she could admit the beauty of it all. Spiral columns lined the perimeter of the base, old Homeworld legends engraved in the stone. A grand balcony cut out from the center of the base, the railings decorated with synthetic replicas of the planet's vegetation.

At the top of the base was a glass dome made up of triangular panes. They glittered like stars despite hardly having any source of light, and were colored white, blue, and yellow—the only Diamonds at the time of its construction.

The upper floor contained the giant throne, along with the control panel to access anything and everything that happened on the colony. The lower floor contained the Observation Orb, which can project a 50 meter radius of any given area on the planet.

Currently, Yellow Diamond was on the upper level, poking through the large displays. Her hand twitched at how inactive she was, but at least she could check the Kindergarten production from the moon. Not that she hadn't checked it 50 times before already.

"Yellow…" The high-pitched voice of her sister Diamond broke her out of her reverie.

"What is it?" Although there was nothing to do, Yellow was mildly irked at being disrupted.

Pink Diamond came up to the throne, hands eagerly on its metal arms. "When are we going to the colony?"

Yellow sighed. "This is the colony. When you're ready to have your own, most of your work will be up here."

"My own colony," Pink echoed, starry-eyed. "So cool! When is that going to happen?"

"When you're ready," Yellow said again. "A Diamond is meant to be utterly patient."

"Is that so?" Pink smirked playfully. "What are we even here for?"

Yellow turned to the control panel and brought up a summary on the Prime Kindergarten. "Some thousands of years ago, this Kindergarten was built and a batch of Citrines started incubating. They just emerged recently. I'm here to check on them."

"I don't see you doing anything."

The comment flustered Yellow. "Yes—well, my Pearl is doing it. She's capable."

"So why did she need mine?" Pink asked in response.

Yellow waved a hand dismissively. "You'd have to ask her yourself."

Pink rolled her eyes and walked off to the glass window surrounding the top of the base. She stood there for a while, watching the still planet below. "Are you sure you can't bring me down? Get some Diamond field experience, hey?"

"I'm sure, Pink." Yellow frowned; the younger Diamond seemed so eager to learn. "But… I can show you what it looks like." She stood. "Come downstairs with me."

As Yellow calmly descended the floating stairs, Pink made an excited sound and jumped all the way to the floor. She was surprisingly nimble for someone with so little experience. "Ahaha! I can get you to do anything!"

Yellow frowned again, but she knew it was true. "Don't think you're going on planet. I'll just show you the Observation Orb." She walked to the center of the room and knelt down to reach the orb. She had only used these things once or twice, but it still responded easily to her touch. The room lit up in a golden glow.

Pink looked around, taking in the sudden light. "What is this?"

Yellow tentatively moved her fingers around to try and find a place. "It allows you to see anywhere on the colony." The light switched from an indistinct gold, to a perfect projection of a random mountainscape. There were some tufts of brown grass poking out, but the scene was mostly red rocks bunched together, high above the horizon. Many, many dots of starlight were in the dark sky above.

Pink gazed upwards in silent awe. "I…" She paused. "This isn't like Homeworld at all."

Taking the praise as dissatisfaction, Yellow moved her hand to another random place. This place was flatter, albeit difficult to tell with the landscape. Although most of the water on this planet was in aquifers, they had landed in a thriving forest.

There was a massive canopy of green overhead, which offered spotty patches of sunlight to the deprived floor below.

"What do you think?" Yellow asked, taking a look around the forest for herself.

"So green. So pretty." Pink smiled and bent down to touch one of the plants. Much to her surprise, she was met with nothing but the marble floor.

"It's only a projection, so there's no sound or anything tactile."

"Oh." Pink was a bit disappointed, but actually not bothered that much. "Say, can you show me the Kindergarten, Yellow? I want to see the new Citrines."

* * *

"This planet's only so big. There's nothing else to show." Yellow withdrew her hand from the orb, and the dry grasslands they were in faded away.

"Thanks." Pink looked completely enamored with the colony. Homeworld was beautiful—that was something she couldn't deny—but alien worlds had their own precious beauty. It wasn't the mechanical and deliberate design back home, but random and arbitrary.

As the room began to be lit by only the dim lamps above, Pink though of another question. "Yellow, do you know what happened yesterday at the First Spire? I saw some commotion from my room."

Yellow stood back up. "A Jade was trying to influence some gems to stop following us Diamonds." She exhaled through her nose in humor. "She even shapeshifted into a common Quartz! How disrespectful."

"Shapeshift?" Pink repeated. "Wait, can I do that?"

Yellow sighed. "Perhaps you can, but you shouldn't and you won't. All our gems are designed carefully by the Diamonds; we are designed carefully by White. It would be an insult to that work to change even the smallest part. Never mind masquerading as another gem completely!"

In the distance, they heard a Warp Pad activate. "She's back. Come on, Pink." Yellow began to ascend the stairs.

Pink lingered behind for a moment, thoughtfully watching her hand, but Yellow didn't notice.

* * *

"Didn't that Citrine know who she was talking to?" Pink's Pearl said, giggling into Pearl's ear.

Pearl snickered back. "I think that's why she started flirting with me."

Yellow Diamond came into view. Pink's Pearl immediately crossed her arms in the salute. Although Pearl didn't have to, she still nervously played with her hands.

"So, uh, the Citrines…" Pearl started, trying to be as loud as possible. "They look good." From the corner of her eye, she could see her fellow Pearl giving her a funny face.

Pink Diamond came up a bit later. "Were there any defects?" Yellow continued.

"Unfortunately yes." Pearl nodded with a frown. "If my math is right, only about half a percentage of them are defective. They're not shattered, yet, but they've been contained for now."

"You're not going to shatter them, are you?" Pink said, this being the first thing she heard when she came up. "They were just so cute!"

"Any gem who is imperfect is worthless to the empire," said Pearl.

Pink bit her lip, but said nothing. She looked at her gloved hand for a moment again before speaking. "I think… I'll just wait for you in the ship. Pearl? Let's go."

She walked back downstairs, her Pearl following in a polite position behind her. When she was out of earshot, Yellow sighed. "I wonder about her sometimes."

"She'll be a brilliant Diamond one day," Pearl assured. "What did you do when I was gone?"

"I showed her the Observation Orb. If I could say anything about that gem, it's that she's definitely curious."

"So, I guess it's time to go back now." Pearl said, looking out through the window. "I think I've been doing good so far!"

Yellow laughed. "You have five days to go! Don't get cocky now."


	4. Day 3: Email

Being one of the most important gems in existence meant a lot of gems wanted to see you. Being one of the most important gems in existence also meant you didn't have the time to see all those gems.

Every single request to see the Diamonds went through an elite team of Beryls. It was estimated that about 25% of requests were denied on the basis that they were unprofessional, incitant, or just plain stupid.

The next line of defense is the Diamond's Pearl, who have to sift through the remaining 75%. The Pearls know their Diamonds better than anyone, so only the most pertinent of requests actually got through to the Diamond. Of course, the Diamond has the final say on who comes in.

If Yellow Diamond though she had a lot of messages, she was dead wrong. It was like cutting off a head of the Hydra; everytime she opened a message, twenty more would pop up.

Yellow groaned and selected another.

* * *

Forwarded: Golden Beryl Facet 92A Cut 1C2

From: Jade Facet U7N Cut 0PE

Message: To my wonderful Diamond,

It has recently come to my attention that it is soon to be 500 years since I was created. I have not done anything of worth to serve this glorious empire, so I was wondering when that is going to happen?

Thank you for your time,

Jade 0PE

From: Yellow Diamond Pearl (Do Not Reply)

Message: There is currently no need for you at this time. Rest assured, all gems will fulfill their purpose.

—

Do not reply to this message. Send a copy of this message to a Beryl to be considered for continued correspondence.

* * *

Forwarded: Golden Beryl Facet 92A Cut 1C7

From: Ochre Crazy Lace Agate Facet 9RQ Cut UV3

Message: To my sparkling, luminous Diamond,

I am in charge of a facet of Lemon Quartzes, and we have been assigned to one of your magnificent colonies to take care of the particularly aggressive resistance. I regret that this is the outcome, my Diamond, but we have been forced to retreat. Too large a number of the facet have unfortunately been lost or shattered in the skirmishes, and I did not wish to waste any more lives. I have attached an official report of the casualties. In the meantime, my wondrous Diamond, I await further direction.

O.C.L. Agate UV3

From: Yellow Diamond Pearl (Do Not Reply)

Message: The official report will be read later. In the meantime, keep the rest of your Quartzes at the nearest barracks.

—

Do not reply to this message. Send a copy of this message to a Beryl to be considered for continued correspondence.

* * *

Forwarded: Golden Beryl Facet 92A Cut 1B9

From: Triphane Facet 17Q Cut 0U3

Message: My Diamond!

I thank you again for giving me this opportunity. I have finished the designs for the project you have assigned to me. Of course, it would be most convenient to simply attach a picture of them, but given the importance of this project, I humbly request your presence. My Diamond, if I may be so bold, would you come to my personal chambers to give your precious input on my designs? I have complete faith you will find them perfect!

I hope to see you soon,

0U3

From: Yellow Diamond Pearl (Do Not Reply)

Message: 0U3, your request has been granted. Yellow Diamond will visit two days from now to look at your designs.

—

Do not reply to this message. Send a copy of this message to a Beryl to be considered for continued correspondence.

* * *

Forwarded: Golden Beryl Facet 92A Cut 1C4

From: Brookite Facet 14T Cut NQ5

Message: I have completed my monthly search for potential colonies. As a summary, we have found 462 planets that have acceptable mineral levels, and approximately 39% (180) of those have an excellent or better organic presence. A full report of our findings has been attached.

Brookite NQ5

From: Yellow Diamond Pearl (Do Not Reply)

Message: The report will be reviewed soon.

—

Do not reply to this message. Send a copy of this message to a Beryl to be considered for continued correspondence.

* * *

Yellow sighed and rubbed her temples. 173 new messages, and that wasn't including the ones she hadn't yet read.

After this week, she ought to enact new procedures concerning contact. Perhaps employ more Beryls? That would be a temporary solution; more gems would just flock to stands. Another layer of screeners before the messages get to Pearl? That might be a better idea.

But that was a week away. For now, Yellow had to deal with the thirty new messages that popped up during her thinking.


	5. Day 4: Meeting

The sun rose on a silent room. Yellow was still working on the inbox, given that there were absolutely no appointments today.

Pearl was reading a couple of reports that flew right over her gem, and totally not texting Blue Pearl.

The silence punctuated with mechanical typing was nice for concentration. Both of them fell into a rhythm of their work; it was one of those days they just knew they'd get a lot done.

"I NEED TO HAVE A WORD WITH YOU!" The door slammed open, nearly scaring Pearl out of her form. In the doorway was an Emerald, a square gem on her right knee.

"Do you have an appointment?" Yellow snarked, used to the… boisterousness of that cut of gems.

Emerald groaned. "I still can't believe this is going on. What would the others say?" Yellow was ready to take action against her, but Emerald kept on rolling. "I suspect that one of your colonies in the Gamma System is causing my Garnets to MUTINY!"

Pearl frowned, gaining confidence. "Uh, can you elaborate?"

It was obvious Emerald was trying not to roll her eyes. "I got word in yesterday that Agates upon Agates are being lost to quote unquote 'organic resistance'." She huffed. "What kind of organic could take down even a measly Pearl?!"

Narrowing her eyes at the obvious attack, Pearl brought up a report Yellow had forwarded to her. "Your point is? Agates aren't even fighting, just their Quartzes. Last time I checked, Quartzes aren't expert tacticians."

"If it was just one facet of Quartzes, I might find this believable." Emerald stomped to the giant throne and slammed her glove hand on the arm. To reach it, she had to stand on her toes despite being as tall as Pink. "But my Garnets are telling me that nearly all of their Agates are missing! Is that not a little bit suspect? And why won't the generals at least go down and do something about the organics? TREASON! Treason is why!"

"Right." Pearl rubbed her ears. "Here's my suggestion. Get in your fancy ship and investigate yourself."

"Myself!?" Emerald left her side, and walked around to stare Pearl in the face. "Who do you think I am? I can't do that!"

"Why? Scared you'll encounter organic resistance?"

Emerald growled and, without warning, threw herself at Pearl, and started angrily swatting.

"Stop it!" Pearl screeched, backing away from the edge.

"You're just a Pearl! What do you know?"

"I know you're acting out of line!" Pearl snapped back.

"Out of line? Out of line?!" Emerald hoisted herself up to the throne. "You're the one out of line! All of this is out of line!" She gestured to the entire room.

"If you don't stop this nonsense, you will be shattered!" Yellow shouted, her features contorting into anger.

Emerald quickly turned around. Even a gem as high-ranked as her would not dare to so boldly challenge a Diamond. But Emerald, already enraged with her generals, and offended by Pearl, showed no caution. "So that's what your plan is, Yellow Diamond?! Shatter me, and let this foolish game continue?"

Hands balled into tight fists, Yellow came right up to Emerald's face. "Do you dare defy your Diamond?"

"No Diamond would let a damn Pearl do as they please." Emerald snarled in return.

Perhaps infuriated by the calm yet malicious response, Yellow lost all professionalism and shot her destabilizing electricity at Emerald.

After five agonizing seconds of angry screams, she finally poofed, and the green gemstone clattered onto the metal below. "What a disappointment," Yellow said dryly.

Pearl didn't respond, eyes wide in fear and breaths shallow. Her right hand was wrapped protectively around her gem, her left by her side shaking.

She was used to conflict. Fancy gems angry they couldn't see Yellow, or taking out their anger for Yellow on her, or being harassed by Quartzes… Although she put on a brave face each time, it always made her shiver. Nearly any gem could have her removed, shattered, or worse. And having someone so threatening so close was frightening.

"—Pearl, Pearl!"

Pearl shook out of her thoughts, but her hand was still cupped over her gem. "Y-yes?"

"I've never seen you act like that," Yellow said, eyeing the green gemstone. "If she laid even a finger on my Pearl, I will be very angry."

"N-no, I'm fine." Nervously, Pearl clasped her hands together.

Yellow bent down and bubbled the gem. "I can't imagine how any gem could go so out of align like that."

Pearl frowned. "Gems talk differently to Pearls than to Diamonds. I've had to deal with a fair amount of abuse in all my days." She smiled proudly, but inwardly cringed at the memories flowing in.

"And what about the order?" said Yellow. "If it's my will, gems should follow!"

"Nobody respects a Pearl." She looked down. "I believe, my Diamond, that is more of a rule than to follow Diamonds unconditionally."

"Don't call me that. Our exchange isn't over yet, Pearl. My Pearl." She looked at the bubble in her hand. "In fact, let me say this. Any disrespect to you is a disrespect to me."

Pearl smiled, a true one this time. "Speaking of, what will you do with… the Emerald?" Once her fear subsided, what was left was anger and bitterness. In other words, have her shattered! Harvested!

"She won't be commanding generals for a long time," Yellow answered. "I'll have her Pearl bring her back, and she'll be on probation for… an innumerable length of time."

Another Pearl. Pearl's smile fell. Sure she may be safe, but what about Emerald's Pearl? Without her staff to oversee her, what fate would fall the poor Pearl?

She swallowed, and tried to forget about it. "Right. Anyways, we have three days left, and I'm sure there's so much work to do."

Yellow nodded, and stepped outside to give the bubble away. Pearl felt nauseous seeing the thin arms of the other Pearl. The door closed.

"However, this planet certainly is causing problems. But as much as I want to jump in and investigate, it can wait four days."

"Right," Pearl repeated. "Is there anything later today? Tomorrow?" The answer to both, she knew, was nothing.

"The rest of the day is clear," Yellow said. She was getting more and more dexterous with the screens. "Tomorrow there's a meeting with a Triphane. A Triphane? What could a Spodumene want?"

Pearl wrinkled her nose. Did Yellow accidently add something to the calendar? And wouldn't an artist rather meet with Blue, the de facto cultural ambassador?

Yellow had stopped talking, working instead on clearing the inbox. Pearl gave one last glance at the giant doors before she returned to her own work.


	6. Day 5: Statues

Pearl had memorized the map to Triphane's quarters last night. Even so, the way there was confusing and winding. Triphanes were a yellow variant of Spodumenes, artists that mainly focused on painting and sculpture. The entire type of gem was grouped together, regardless of court. Because of such, the entire place was designed for aesthetic more than function.

Precarious spiral staircases lead up to balconies with no support; entrances were outfitted with curtains rather than doors, leaving the wind available to expose the bright interiors; dark statues were chiseled to the point of structural imbalance. In the distance, Bismuths were doing maintenance on the brittle buildings.

Finally, they came to a large house that could only be described as mismatched. A small imported garden surrounded the perimeter, the ultramarine grass a stark contrast against the neon yellow walls. A wide balcony jutted from an archway engraved with poetry, an alien tapestry hanging from the glass railings. On top of the flat roof was a basalt statue bust depicting the legendary Moon Goddess. It was clearly before Yellow's time, and a golden necklace and diadem rested on the stone.

By the side of the house, a Spodumene was painting in a mural. Or rather, her Pearl was doing the work while she oversaw.

"Triphane 0U3?" Pearl called out. Immediately she recognized the face; it was the same Triphane who had dismissed her during court.

Triphane turned, crossing her arms in a proud salute. "Oh, my Diamond! I am absolutely elated that you came!" She beamed. "I can show you the designs, oh, and the original statue too!"

Yellow didn't respond, and instead looked down at Pearl. She supposed it was too late to back out now. "That's very good. So why don't we… go?"

Triphane was about to refuse, when she noticed Yellow's serious expression. "Um, of course! How luminous!" She nervously bowed and gestured to the entrance. "After you…"

Pearl turned to see Yellow nod. She walked in, Triphane following with antsy hands.

Triphane's Pearl was watching from the scaffolding with a cocked eyebrow. "I made basically the entire thing, you know. Your statue," she said casually, setting the paintbrush down.

"You're confident."

The Pearl walked to the ledge and put her arms on the railing. "My friends call me Goldie." She looked to the side. "I read the order, my Diamond. I'm still dumbstruck at it."

"What is your mistress even so eager to show off?" Yellow asked. "She didn't specify."

"It was a couple of days ago at court," said Goldie. "I distinctly remember you there. Your Pearl had the brilliant idea for my Triphane to make even more statues."

"Right, of the Diamond Authority," Yellow said. "Is that so much of a problem to you?"

Goldie gave a low laugh. "Not at all, but she takes all the credit even though I do all the work. All she does is sketch the designs."

"I surmise, though, true art is in the idea, not the construction."

"As if!" Goldie laughed again. "Don't tell her this, but her designs are absolutely garish. I'm the one who has to improve them. Yet I get nothing!"

Yellow paused. "Well, you are her Pearl."

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you." Goldie took her arms away from the railing and stood up straight. "You're really easy to talk to, my Diamond. Everyone says you have a hair-trigger temper, but I don't think that's true."

"It is important for a Diamond to be patient and fair." Though that mostly applied for when they weren't pissed off at something. "All gems have a purpose."

"I can see that!" Goldie remarked. "Just some gems are better suited at their purpose than others."

* * *

Meanwhile, Triphane was leading Pearl around the twists and turns of her home. Every wall was covered with an obscene number of paintings, statues or fake plants in every corner. The entire house was imbued with dim yellow lights, giving everything a sickly feel.

"I hope you know I think this is ridiculous," Triphane said suddenly.

"What is?" Pearl asked, knowing full well what the answer was.

"You… acting like you're in control. Frankly, it's disgusting." Triphane opened a door and stepped through.

Pearl followed. "The will of a Diamond is the will of a Diamond. It's not like Yellow Diamond could fit in here anyways."

Triphane shut the door behind them. "And what are you implying, Pearl?"

"I'm not implying anything. All I'm saying is that these ceilings are short."

The room they were in was painted white, but that was where the simplicity ended. Canvases upon canvases of unfinished paintings lined the floor. Pearl could see depictions of the First Spire, of the Moon Goddess, of court. They were lovely, but the gaping blankness of canvas was definitely apparent.

Near the corner of the room was a drawing table, stacks and stacks of papers piled upon it.

"Nevertheless," Triphane all but sighed. "Let me show you my _chef d'oeuvre_!"

She walked to a statue covered in a white sheet, and yanked it off with a frightening force. It was the statue of Yellow Diamond, made of black marble. Truly, it was excellent. Even if she had a sour personality, Triphane also had a commendable talent for art.

The statue depicted Yellow in her historical mural pose: arms bent at the elbows, palms facing up, one leg in front of the other, looking to the left. The face was gorgeous; serious yet arbitral eyebrows and eyes, a long, sharp nose, a mouth turned into neither a frown nor a smile. It was the perfect face for a ruler.

"Not bad." Triphane had annoyed her enough to have her work understated. "The face though? Could use some work."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Triphane said dismissively, brushing her away. "I wouldn't expect a Pearl to understand what art means." She shuffled to her desk, and picked out a thin folder from a pile. Pearl rolled her eyes and came up to the desk.

Triphane opened the folder, and three sheets of white parchment were seen. What caught Pearl's eye wasn't the sketches themselves, but on what they were drawn: genuine paper. Paper, being an organic resource, was neither easy nor cheap to come by. Either Triphane truly was a serious artist, or she just liked to show off.

"Take a gander at this, Pearl," Triphane said sardonically, shoving a page in Pearl's hands.

It was a drawing of White Diamond. Suddenly, Pearl remembered what this was all about; these designs were for the courtyard she had suggested a couple of days ago. The drawing itself showed good technique, depicting the eldest Diamond in her traditional pose standing erect with her hands cupped around her abdomen. However, Triphane made some… _decisions_ with the design, decisions that had no relation to the artful completed statue.

For example, the outfit was completely incorrect. Now, it was common for Spodumenes to take liberties with their subjects; otherwise, all art would look terribly plain and repetitive. But the thing about a liberty is that they still capture the spirit of the original. Instead of White's conservative yet commanding dress and cape, Triphane had drawn her in a very, _very_ thin chemise, showing off shapely legs among other things. It looked more like entertainment for Rubies than a dignified public statue.

"I'm curious, could you tell me your thought process on this one?" Pearl asked, trying to keep the disgust out of her voice.

Triphane brightened. "I definitely could. White Diamond can be analogous to the 'earth mother' present in many organic cultures. Without being _too_ indecent, I wanted to portray how she represents the origin of our wonderful society…"

Pearl was beginning to regret asking, seeing as Triphane was rambling on and on about the symbolism of White's legs. "Okay, okay, that's fantastic. How about the other designs?"

"...emblematizes the organic womb, similar to how White Diamond—" Triphane frowned. "The other designs. Right."

The other designs were similarly ridiculous. Blue Diamond, besides being more voluptuous than usual, was drawn with piles and piles of amorphous gauze. Pink Diamond had ribbons flowing from every possible place it could. It was apparent that it would be a challenge getting these sketches to be structurally sound in the stone.

"In my opinion, you did a good job with my Diamond." Pearl crossed her arms. "I think I would make the remaining statues, ah, stylistically similar rather than going in different directions."

"Yes, and I'll just listen to the _Pearl_ telling me what to do." Triphane snapped the folder shut and threw it back on her desk.

Pearl narrowed her eyes. "Well, this Pearl can get you shattered. You're free to continue with this art." At that, she turned on her heels and left.


	7. Day 6: The Sigma System

"_My Diamond. I called you before to tell you about a problem we faced on Planet C in the Sigma System. We put up blockades, but the organics still bypassed them. Either no progress gets done, or my gems die. Please, we really need your help."_ The transmission cut off.

Yellow stared at the screen, thinking. "How could organics get past our technology? Surely they are nowhere near our advancements."

"I suspected this would be a problem when that Nephrite was here," Pearl said, closing the video. "Most organic resistance can be taken down by gem weapons, can't they? Therefore, there really isn't a _barrier_ system that can keep them out. It's only tuned for hard light forms."

Yellow put a hand on her chin. "Perhaps. If that's true, I'd rather go there myself to investigate."

"Are you sure? You may be far stronger than any gem, but you're still a gem," said Pearl. "You might get hurt."

"This planet is the most viable we've seen in centuries. It is very important we don't lose it." Yellow opened the door. "There's nothing else today, so it would be best to go now."

She smiled. "However, I think you ought to make that call, my Pearl."

Pearl nodded. "We'll go. I trust you."

* * *

They landed a few hours later on an expanse of blue stone. The beginnings of a Galaxy Warp was situated there, though only a few Warp Pads were constructed.

Pearl and Yellow exited the ship. A couple of gems—Quartzes, Jades, Lapis Lazulis—were watching the ship anxiously. Once Pearl and Yellow stepped onto the ground, Nephrite ran up to them.

"My Diamond," she said, saluting. "Thank you so much for coming."

Pearl inhaled to steady herself. "Right. I think the best course of action will be to observe these organics first hand. If there's anything to be done _besides_ killing, it would be found out there."

Nephrite bit her lip, but nodded. "There's a village near one of the Kindergarten sites. I can bring you near, but I don't know how the organics will react."

They warped to the site. A radius of about 50 meters was cleared of vegetation, but the surrounding area was covered with thick forest.

"The village is past the forest," said Nephrite. "But they've set up scouts to keep us out."

"I don't see any," Pearl said, looking into the trees.

"Trust me, they're there."

Pearl kept watching for a moment, but she saw no motion through the leaves. "Can you tell me about this… toxin?"

Nephrite nodded. "It is very fast acting. Before we knew what danger it posed, a few gems were hit by it. On our hard-light forms, it is merely an irritant, but on our gems… They were dissolved in a near instant." She frowned and looked away without a further word, as if unable to forget that image.

Pearl shivered at just the thought. "Stars."

"Assuming that's true," Yellow said, always one to point out holes in every story. "What is it about these organics that they both cannot be safely eliminated, and cannot be stopped by barriers."

Nephrite wrung her hands together. "Some of the Jades have managed to capture a specimen, and have been running tests on it. It's very difficult, considering this issue, but perhaps you could offer your insight, my Diamond?"

"Very well."

* * *

The dawn of colonies always came with problems, one of them being suitable facilities. The first structures built were usually barracks, the Galaxy Warp, the Prime Kindergarten. Not much time was spent on research stations, unless the planet's properties necessitated it.

The issue here wasn't the lack of a research station—unable to mine for resources without resistance meant that one of the ships was converted into an impromptu lab. The issue was that the ships couldn't fit a fifty foot Diamond.

Nephrite had decided that it was worth the risk to bring out the captured specimen. It was carried out in a small, glass cage by some Jaspers, a gem touch pad serving as its lock. Following the Jaspers were two Jades carrying their notes.

The creature in question looked harmless enough. It was quadrupedal, sharp talons poking out. What looked like bird wings jutted out from where shoulder blades would be, but they were positioned tight against its torso.

"These _things_ have flight?" Pearl asked.

One of the Jades cocked an eyebrow but nodded anyways. "They do, but Nephrite says that they can pass our barriers even without flying above."

Cautiously, Pearl approached the cage. "How did you manage to capture one, if they're so dangerous?"

"It seems that this one is defective, and was unable to notice the Quartzes," a Jade explained. "However, now that it's here, it's too aggressive to even approach. That's why we aren't making much progress on finding away to stop them."

"With that in mind, it would be best to have a Destroyer-class come to wipe out their villages," Yellow said.

Terrified from the sudden loud voice from the giant Diamond, the creature screeched and spat out a clear acid onto the glass. The reaction was quick, melting the glass. With the creature now out of containment, it spat again at its keepers, splashing onto Pearl, Nephrite, and one of the Jades, then dashed off.

"Kill it! Kill it!" Nephrite screamed to the Jaspers as she fell to the ground in agony. She clutched the round gem on her breast, but it didn't stop the acid from corroding into the green mineral. "Oh, Stars, help me!" The Jaspers and the other Jade alike stood there frozen, before running to refuge in the ship.

The Jadeite crumpled down in a similar fashion, but instead of howling out, she simply started to cry.

Yet Pearl wasn't in pain. She was keeled over in shock and fear, but was physically fine. Slowly, she straightened herself, and touched the clear fluid from her still-smooth gem. It felt cold, and harmless. She hoped she didn't befall the same fate as—

Unsupported by her gemstone, Nephrite's form began to glitch. It was the same deformities symptomatic of a crack, but faster given the speed the acid was weathering the stone away. The "skin" on her legs and arms peeled away into nothing, leaving empty spots where her limbs should be. Her voice distorted, as if her throat was filling with water, her cries disfiguring into something incomprehensible. Nephrite reached out to Pearl, her lone eye calling for help. It wasn't long before Nephrite let out a final cry, letting her form fall away to leave just the corroded gem.

Pearl stepped back in horror, hands over her mouth. Slowly, she wrenched her hands away and swallowed. "S-stars…"

Eventually, one of the Jaspers slinked out of the ship and tentatively crushed both Nephrite and Jade's gems under her heel—the latter of which was almost completely gone. The Jasper then knelt down in shame and crossed her arms into a diamond. In a short, breathy whisper, she said, "My Diamond… please forgive us…"

"H-how many gems have been… _lost_?" Pearl asked quietly.

"As a mere Quartz, I can't say exactly." Jasper looked to the ground. "But many of my comrades and even some Lapises are gone. And now…"

"I see," said Pearl. "For now, you may head back, and we will give a solution soon."

Jasper nodded without a word, and scurried back into the ship.

"Pearl, is your gem whole?" Yellow asked, a worried expression on her face. (Though it was certainly for the loss of capable gems, not out of concern for her Pearl.)

"It is, my—" She stopped herself. "In any case, that thing _isn't _corrosive to any gem, as I had thought. There's something about Nephrite and Jade's gems that reacted with the creature. And, evidently, that is something that Pearls don't have."

"Very astute. What are you getting at?"

Pearl inhaled. "It's a best case scenario if Kindergartens can be built without interference from native species. Worst case scenario—given that the planet still be colonized—is that we waste manpower, fuel, ships, resources in eliminating organics. Not to mention that our large-scale attacks tend to ruin the viability of Kindergartens."

Yellow nodded. "Obviously, it would be an even bigger waste to abandon the planet all together."

"If the Quartzes can't stop them, then it has to be someone else. Someone who isn't affected." Nervously, Pearl wrung her hands together. "I know I'm just a Pearl, and I know that my boldness this last week has condemned me to shattering… but for today and tomorrow, I'm the acting Diamond, by your decree. And as the acting Diamond, I think I can do it."

Yellow looked past her, thinking. "Certainly any gem is stronger than any organic creature, and it's true that their toxins can't get to you. But acting Diamond or not, you _are_ just a Pearl. You may get hurt nevertheless."

"Don't forget, my Diamond, that I'm replaceable," Pearl said, despite herself, despite her wringing hands. "And in any case, their danger rests in what I am immune to."

"You're right, aren't you? Hah, I thank the stars every day that I have such a clever Pearl." Yellow chuckled shortly. "It's settled then. You'll go."


	8. Day 7: Attack

Pearls are not like most gems, in that Pearls are property. So long as orders don't include shattering or treason, a gem is able to use their Pearl as they please. Anything demeaning, or perverted, or strenuous is a possibility. In any case, the only barrier to misusing a Pearl is the judgment of peers, peers who were certain in the dos and don'ts of society.

One of these don'ts is that Pearls don't fight. Which is why when Pearl awkwardly grasped the white spear for the first time, she felt an instinctive shiver run down her spine.

She walked into the armory escorted by a Jasper. As Pearl perused the round room, she could feel the Jasper stare at her. Unable to take it while examining a pole arm, she spun around abruptly. "Will you stop looking at me like that?"

Jasper shrugged, then grinned. "Sorry, pearly, there's nothing else to look at."

"I think you've forgotten who you're talking to." Pearl frowned. "And what is so funny?"

"This is prime comedy, little Pearl!" Jasper laughed. "Yeah, yeah I'll die if I go out, but seeing a cutie like you going for battle? Hilarious."

Angrily, Pearl reached go the nearest weapon and tried to threaten Jasper with it. The long battle axe was too heavy for her, and she keeled over with its weight; not to mention she held it in the wrong direction.

Chuckling, Jasper came over and lifted it up for her, casually letting it rest on her shoulder. "Sorry, little thing, weapons don't work like that."

Pearl stood herself up. "I can get you shattered, you know."

"You'll shatter yourself if you're not careful, sweetheart." Jasper placed the axe back where it belonged. "A weapon is not just a tool, but an extension of our light. It's a partnership; if it's not made perfectly for you, it'll fail you."

"Hm… aren't you quite eloquent for a Quartz." Pearl crossed her arms.

"Heh, that just means I'm right." Jasper looked past her, walking to grab an item. "Here ya go, sweetie." She threw a weapon at Pearl, who stepped back nervously, letting it clatter at her feet. It was a spear.

Carefully, Pearl bent down and picket up the spear. It was lighter than she expected, and had little adornment besides a small Diamond insignia near the base.

Jasper came over. "You need to hold it right." She took Pearl's hand and adjusted it to the right position.

"Don't touch me." Pearl gave her a stern glare, but didn't readjust from what Jasper had done.

Jasper held up her hands in faux surrender. "Well, I think you're good. They're just dumb beasts, so I think you can figure out the stabby stuff, smarty pants."

"Right."

The door to the armory opened. "Are you ready?" asked a Jadeite in a long skirt.

Pearl nodded. "Yes."

* * *

She was dropped off near the entrance of the settlement that encroached on the Kindergarten site. Seeing the tall dwellings made of sand-colored bitumen filled Pearls with a jittery sort of dread, wondering if the creatures were sentient enough to attack her with other means.

But she had already volunteered for the task, and nevertheless, the fallen Nephrite's ship was flying back to the Galaxy Warp. Pearl looked away from the ship, and swallowed as she watched the village.

"I really am just a Pearl, huh?" she muttered, then shook her head. This wasn't a good time to second guess herself; actually, night had passed since Nephrite's death, hadn't it? One day more as acting Diamond, then she could be doubtful. As for now, she had to be strong.

She walked to the cliff side, drawing the attention of the beasts outside. She cleared her throat, nervously adjusting her grip on the spear. Pearl hoped that Jasper's help wouldn't slip her mind.

More of the creatures were staring at her, gathering around what seemed to be their head.

"If you have even the slightest bit of brains," Pearl announced in her loud voice. "Then evacuate this dump immediately, so our greater work can continue."

The leader of the beasts growled threateningly, procuring some of the transparent fluid from its mouth. Pearl cringed, remembering Nephrite dissolving into nothing.

"If you do not leave this minute, I will be forced to slaughter you all myself!"

The leader barked out an order in a tongue completely incomprehensible. The crowd disappated, not away from the village, but into their bitumen dwellings. Seeing them flutter up into the openings, some so close to her, was nauseating.

All that was left was the leader and probably a group of warriors. Seeing as she couldn't convince them without violence, Pearl eyed the village below the cliff. "Do you think I can make that…?" she wondered to herself, then shrugged. "I'm a gem. It can't be that bad."

It was that bad. Thank the stars she didn't lose her form, but the pain made her want to, almost out of embarassment at the impulsive act. Carefully, she stood up, trying to still give the beasts a stern look. Her knees hurt the worst of all, thin layers of champagne skin peeling off.

She inhaled sharply, brandishing the spear. "Leave, now!" Stars, she was frightened.

The leader took an angry step forward. Pearl gripped the spear tighter. "Go!"

It went, but in the opposite direction which Pearl had hoped. Vaguely, she recalled Jasper's joking words from earlier: _They're just dumb beasts, so I think you can figure out the stabby stuff_. Hearing the causal tone with this frightful situation, Pearl couldn't help but chuckle. Yes, she was just a Pearl, but she was infinitely stronger than any organic could imagine.

So, she relaxed her stance, and grinned cockily. "I guess we have to do this the hard way."

She slowly walked to the leader. It growled at her, and when she got close, it spat out the toxic liquid. Pearl faltered, unable to get Nephrite and Jade out of her head. _I'll consider this payback from the Gem Empire. _Not taking the time to wipe it away, Pearl swung down the spear in a way that seemed forceful onto the beast's head.

The leader backed away, and its entourage leapt forward to protect it. One of them reached for her leg—but it was a weak strike that showed Pearl that _they really were weak_!

She smiled, and tried her hand at impaling the guard, right through its maw as it was forming the toxin. It yelped, trying desperately to run away or at least melt the spear. Pearl could see why Quartzes were so jubilant; fighting and winning was absolutely thrilling.

All her fear was gone in an instant. She jerked the spear back, blood gushing out. Pearl aimed for another beast, swinging the spear at its head. It was thrown backwards, skinning its back legs.

Out from the pack of guards, Pearl could see the leader rushing back to bark directions to those waiting in the dwellings. "Oh, no you don't!" With a sudden stroke of confidence, Pearl readjusted the spear and gave chase to it, cutting through the pack. As she aimed it at the leader, a hard force pushed her back to the ground.

It was one of the guards, she could feel it standing angrily on her back, clawing fiercely at her nape. Pearl thrashed, trying to get a hold of the spear she dropped. She yelled and struck out at it, but it was to no avail. Under no circumstance could she cease her form—she would be shattered.

But a thundering sound from above stopped all movement in its tracks. With the beast on her back still, Pearl wrenched herself up and beamed at the sight. Appearing at the cliff side was who but Yellow Diamond herself! Pearl dashed away from the beasts and watched Yellow.

Similar to Pearl had done before, Yellow bounded down the cliff, sending clamorous vibrations through the ground. The leader, tensed in the center of the clearing, let out a large cry. At its sound, the organics in the dwellings hesitantly poked out of the windows, for escape.

Yellow threw a shot of electric energy at the beasts, their limp forms falling like steady drum beats.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Pearl shouted above the panicked shrieks, scrambling for the spear. Her knee raw and burning, she reached over to stab the fleeing guards.

"I'm Yellow Diamond, not some idle layabout!" Lightning hit more of the fleeing beasts. "Besides, my Pearl, it looks like you need some help!"

Pearl grinned and thrust the spear through the skin of one of the guards. Green blood splashed on her arms, and she withdrew the spear in disgust.

"Take down the leader, and I'll deal with the rest!" Yellow shouted over the chaos.

Though it wasn't seen, Pearl nodded and faced the grisly leader of the beasts. "I've always hated organics," she muttered as she darted forward.

The leader charged at her as well, but before it could do anything, Pearl thwacked it with the spear. It skidded backwards, and when it was distracted, she stabbed it.

Pearl yanked the spear back, and ran to Yellow, who was taking care of the last of the guards.

"Such a hassle." Yellow clapped, letting the residue energy fizzle away. "How did it go for you?"

Pearl panted and dropped the spear. "I'm hurt, but—but I did it."

Yellow bent down and offered her hand, which Pearl gladly took. "Ah, let me complain one last time and say that I'm so—I'm so—" Exhausted, Pearl fell over and poofed.


	9. Reformed

She discarded her gloves, and added a sheer ruffle at her shoulders. Just for fun, she added some thigh-highs. From her round, pale gem was her as an amorphous being of light, shuffling through her scant amount of forms, before settling into solidity.

The yellow lights of the control room filled Pearl's vision, her Diamond looking at her in the middle of typing.

"How long has it been?" Pearl asked, smoothing the new ruffles.

Yellow Diamond shut off the screens. "It's been a month."

"I see. My Diamond," she added hastily. "What about Planet C? Has there been any trouble?"

"I was just looking over a report from them. The Lapis Lazulis have just finished terraforming the Prime Kindergarten without a hitch. Blue Diamond and I have already gone through extraction, with injection about to commence soon." Yellow offered a rare smile. "It's a good thing the loss of gems and resources has been minimized as much as it was. One of my Brookites have found an exceptionally viable planet."

"That is good news, my Diamond." Pearl fiddled with her hands. She still felt her boldness of the past week on her shoulders; but a month had passed for everyone else, and her escapades as a false Diamond were surely forgotten. It was more than an idle thought, wondering if—although the deal was sanctioned by the most important person in this court—all her bombast that week would be _forgiven_. Pearl didn't mind so much the scorn from the nobles she ended up spurning, but from Yellow Diamond. She could imagine it now: Yellow would consider the deal as some impulsive thing made from tiredness, and all that week she was kicking herself over letting a little Pearl flaunt a fake sense of authority. Oh, Pearl would surely be shattered! She cursed at fate that she wasn't killed before she formed.

"Don't sell yourself short. I was dead set then on razing the planet of all life, regardless of the loss of energy that we need. If we had done that, we wouldn't be able to advance our defense systems."

Pearl blushed at the praise. "My—my Diamond, I really didn't do much." She frowned. "And—and it was improper to pretend to be as high as I was. I truly apologize for taking advantage of you. My Diamond."

Yellow Diamond laughed, a sweet sound. "I rather miss the confidence you had a month ago! You aren't some lowly service Pearl, you are the Pearl of a Diamond. I'd say you're leagues more important than any common gem!"

"R-right." Her face was a profuse orange. "Forgive me for asking, but will I be shattered for this, my Diamond?"

"If you were to be shattered, I would have shattered you the moment the suggestion came out of your mouth." Yellow smiled kindly as if she hadn't promised her death. "And in any case, this has helped me notice a lot of things, and I'm sure you have as well."

Pearl resisted the urge to shiver. "Yes, my Diamond. Say, did I overwork you?"

Yellow reopened her screens. "I think I may have been shirking."

Pearl tittered. "If anything, all we learned is that all gems work, and it's all important."

"That's a good point." A message popped up on Yellow's screen. "Now that you're back, you can field these again. Ah, it's from the Brookite."

"My Diamond, is this the colony you mentioned?" Pearl asked.

Wordlessly, Yellow turned the pale screen to her servant. "It's the richest planet I've seen. I'm convinced it's perfect for what I'm planning."

"May I ask…?"

"It was going to be a secret, but you're my Pearl. Of course, this means you must not speak of it until it's official," said Yellow. "This will be Pink Diamond's first colony. With everything that it has, it's sure to be a success."

"Another good call from you, my Diamond!" She was certain that idea would not work. "Th-thank you, and I'll… continue working."

Yellow Diamond and her Pearl were two gems that were utterly convinced of their places in society. Yellow's is to unconditionally lead; Pearl's, to unconditionally serve. Yet they both had a week of unfamiliarity and confusion, both thrown so far from their comfort zone from some silly arrangement made on the spur of the moment. From this impulsive arrangement came a change deep in their gems. Although they both believed everything would be back to normal, that normality would never come.

It would not be them that instigated the change, but for the next 6,000 years, they would feel its effects warping them into somebody different.

The two of them would soon learn how to _love _and how to _appreciate _from _somewhere _new and unexpected: the Earth.


End file.
